Symposium Video

Description

Recent disputes between the country of Argentina and foreign investors have brought to the fore the growing significance of investor-state disputes in international law. Among the issues involved in these cases are the limits of the sovereign immunity doctrine, the challenges of conducting discovery against sovereign states, the extraterritorial jurisdiction of U.S. courts, and the impact of domestic judicial decisions on the United States’ foreign relations.

On October 24, 2014, the Maryland Journal of International Law hosted a Symposium which addressed these and related questions of international dispute resolution. Chief among the topics arising out of the recent Argentina cases are the impact of bilateral investment treaties on investor-state disputes; the appeal of bilateral investment treaties in the face of increasingly assertive claims by private actors; the force and effect of international arbitration agreements and awards; the significant influence of the New York Convention on the Enforcement of Arbitral Awards; the distinction between treaty-based and contract-based arbitration agreements; international perceptions and the role of the United States as a forum for arbitration and litigation; the relationship between U.S. courts and the country’s status as a financial center; competition among global arbitration centers; and choice of venue and choice of law provisions in arbitration agreements. The Symposium will also provide a platform to explore the most significant recent trends in private commercial dispute resolution in the international arena.

The Symposium brought together leading international arbitration and litigation experts and practitioners to engage in a lively conversation on these issues. This year’s panelists offered thoughtful insights on new and emerging issues in international dispute resolution and brought to the Symposium a keen understanding of the challenges that arise in contemporary practice.

Symposium proceedings and related articles are published in Volume 30 of the Maryland Journal of International Law (Spring 2015).

Acknowledgements

Financial consideration for the annual Maryland Journal of International Law Symposium has been graciously provided by The Gerber Fund. The Maryland Journal of International Law would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd M. Gerber and their children for their support and sponsorship of our Symposium.

Additional publicity generously provided by The American Society of International Law (ASIL).